Long Overdue
by SaoirseParisa
Summary: After years of being away from her home, Mary returns to Mineral Town. Particularly her beloved library, her favorite place in all the world. A reunion reminds her of all that she's accomplished. My entry for the Village Square Forum's Celebration Prompt.


**A/N**: This is my entry for the Village Square Forum's Celebration/Reunion Prompt in light of Friends of Mineral Town getting a remake for the Switch. I am super super excited for it, and even though I admit I'm not a fan of some of the new character designs, I won't let that stop me from getting it once it comes out in the US. You can walk through your crops now! You can get penguins for pets! You can RIDE YOUR HORSE OFF YOUR PROPERTY! How can you beat that?!

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Pale morning sunlight seeped into the library, filtered through thin, translucent white curtains draped over the glass windows.

Mary Boatwright stepped inside the Mineral Town Library and smiled, reveling in the world of books around her. Even after nearly twenty years of being away from what was once her hometown, this place she loved so much hadn't changed one bit. Books still filled every shelf from floor to ceiling, the wooden cases full to bursting. The copiers and printers stashed in the far left corner of the room still buzzed when she turned them on. The lines of tables, desks, and computers still took up a good majority of the first floor. One table had a big pile of books on it that was close to falling over. Mary walked over to it and straightened it out, keeping it level. The pale yellow flooring had some scratches and nicks in various places, probably from having so many shoes walking across it and chairs scraping the wood over the years. The lilac wallpaper peeled off in some corners, exposing gray concrete walls.

But as far as Mary was concerned, this was still the same library she loved and cherished, even after she moved away to go to college and pursue a degree in writing. She went over to one window that overlooked the main street, pushing the latch down and sliding it open with a quiet click, the glass pane squeaking as it resisted her hands. The wispy white curtains rolled and swayed as the fresh spring breeze set them aloft, making them dance in the air. Mary gave a soft, happy sigh as she leaned against the windowsill, the flower-scented air wafting into the room, enveloping it in the smell of floral nectar.

It had always been her favorite place to go. The library was her safe place. Her safe haven. When she didn't want to be in the house, she could just walk next door, sit at a desk, and lose herself in a book. When kids bullied her in school, she could go into the library and cry in peace. When she found social events to be too tiring and exhausting to deal with, she could slip into the library unnoticed and find time to calm down and clear the cobwebs in her brain. She wouldn't trade her beloved Mineral Town library for the world, even if college and work made it near impossible to visit. But she knew her parents could be trusted to help with its upkeep and make sure it was taken care of. As far as they were concerned, the library was practically an extension of her soul. It was her place to come back to, and now, she had returned.

At one point, Mary's gaze was intently fixed on an old book that had been left at the front desk. It was an old copy of a history book that had been published fifty years ago. The corners of the leather binding folded inward, the pages turned yellow from age, and she could faintly see fingerprints smudged on some of the pages. She picked it up, smoothed out the bent corners, and slid it into an empty space on one of the back shelves. It smoothly went inside, and Mary smiled, giving the worn out book a home amongst its many brethren. She could see subtle scratch marks on the book's spine, with some being lighter than the binding. This book had gone through a lot. Just like she did.

Mary sat down at a table nearby, losing herself in her thoughts. At seventeen, she had graduated from high school and went to a college in a far away city. College was an enriching experience, as she made lots of great friends, learned a lot from wonderful teachers who encouraged her creative pursuits, and even managed to get a few short stories published in the college magazine. She worked laboriously on a novel she had been working on, changing it and revising it and editing it with feedback and criticism from friends and mentors. She had sent it out to a few publishers, but many of them rejected her novel for a variety of reasons. One publisher said she was playing it too safe. Another said she was trying too hard. Another one said it needed to stand out, and hers didn't. Others simply said it didn't stand a chance in this competitive industry.

Those were the times when Mary wanted to return to her favorite library and just hide. Hide from the cruel world. But she was already out in the world. Why bother hiding? She had already come so far, and she didn't want to give up.

Suddenly, a flash of pink obscured her vision.

"Mary? Is that you?" A bouncy, high pitched voice pulled Mary out of her reverie.

Mary looked up in alarm. Standing before her was a young woman, a little younger than she, with wavy, curly cotton candy pink hair that cascaded down to her upper back, with one strand of it tied in a braid with a red and pink ribbon. Her cherry red eyes gleamed brightly as she sized Mary up, and her deep red, green, and white dress suddenly gave the library a splash of color. Mary stood up from her chair as she processed the woman before her, recognizing her right away.

"Popuri?" Mary asked.

Popuri nodded sweetly. "Yep, that's me!" She chirruped, flashing a smile in Mary's direction.

"Goodness, you look so different from the last time I saw you!" Mary exclaimed, a little cowed by Popuri's more mature appearance. To think this perky young woman used to be the little girl who lived at the chicken farm across from the blacksmith. Mary remembered Popuri's cheerful but childish and flighty personality, the arguments she had with her brother Rick, and her overall sunny demeanor. Now she had blossomed into this new woman. For a moment, Mary thought she was a different person altogether.

"Yeah. How long has it been? Nearly 20 years, maybe?" Popuri suggested. "You, on the other hand...you haven't changed a bit."

Heat filled Mary's cheeks, turning them red. She was sure her face was heating up so much her glasses would fog up. But she knew Popuri was trying to be nice, so she took no offense to the comment.

"I saw you enter the library, and I just had to stop by and catch up with you!" Popuri said, clasping her hands together.

In all honesty, Mary wasn't sure why Popuri of all people would want anything to do with her. The few interactions they had years ago were cordial, but Mary didn't think they were so close that they needed to catch up on things. They weren't necessarily best friends. But Mary did appreciate her visit.

"How is your family?" Mary asked.

Popuri sat down next to Mary, and the two women talked for what seemed to be hours: About each other's families, their recent adventures, funny things that had happened, the places Popuri visited, and so on. Their eyes widened the more they learned about each other. Popuri had finally worked up the courage to marry Kai, and despite her brother's objections, the family gave her their support. The two hooked up, and went to start their new life together. Things had turned out quite well. Popuri and Kai traveled everywhere, visiting a whole variety of interesting places along the way. As much as Popuri liked Poultry Farm and her beloved Mineral Town, she always wanted to see more of the world, and Kai gave her the opportunity.

"Oh, you must visit Oak Tree Town some time!" Popuri suggested when they were deep into their conversation. "The restaurant there has the most exquisite cuisine, and the brown cows the farmers have are simply to die for!"

Mary smiled, her fingers fiddling with the yellow tie on her teal dress. She couldn't help but smile as she listened to Popuri's stories, the same warm, kind, unfaltering smile Popuri always liked seeing on her, though never got to see often. The soft scent of rose perfume filled her nose, bringing with it a swirling cloud of serenity.

"It sounds like your life has turned out great," Mary replied, taking Popuri's hand into her own. It wasn't as soft as it used to be, and she could see some slight calluses on her palm.

"Hmmm...I wouldn't say it's all sunshine and rainbows. Then again, nobody said life was perfect," Popuri exclaimed. "Oh yeah!" Popuri pulled her hand out from Mary's. "That reminds me!" She rummaged through a red purse and pulled out a book.

Mary's heart leaped into her throat when it was placed in front of her. The book was a small one, depicting a farm in a lush green meadow, with a girl petting her cow in the forefront. The title read '_Homestead Harvest'_ in bold, green lettering in a cursive font.

The author's name was Mary Boatwright.

"While I was in Westown, I saw this on sale and I just had to get it!" Popuri said. "Congratulations on finally getting published!"

Mary inhaled sharply without meaning to, and her chest fluttered. Her very own novel, having finally been published after so many rejections. Here was a single copy that Popuri-of all people-had bought with her own money. A warm pride lurched in her chest. She hadn't quite kept up with the sales of her book just yet, as it had only been released two weeks ago. It didn't make any bestseller lists, nor did she expect it to instantly become popular overnight. But seeing her book right in front of her was almost surreal.

"You bought it?" Mary asked, like having someone buy something of hers was akin to having aliens come to Earth.

"Totally!" Popuri giggled, voice bursting with cheer. "I recognized your name right away, so I just had to have it!" She confessed without hesitation. "I even bought some extra copies and gave them to some of my friends, and trust me, they've been going nuts over it!"

"Wow. I…" Words completely escaped her in that moment. But the cup of happiness in her heart was full, and learning this new revelation made it overflow to the point of no return, turning into a tsunami of emotions. She wanted to explode and jump around the room and cheer like no tomorrow. Not even the faint echo of a bad memory could cut through her overwhelming happiness in that moment.

"_You? Write a book? Please! Do you really think any sane person would want to read anything you write? Get over yourself, nerd. A four eyed freak like you'd never get anywhere in life doing that."_

At one point, Mary had believed that person's venomous statement. That maybe nobody would want to read anything a frumpy person like her could write. But Popuri had read her book. That had to mean something. The awful memory of that day began to fizzle out like the last glow of a dying star, and Mary's vision began to blur. She truly did fulfill her dream.

"I don't...know what to say," Mary stammered.

"Then don't say anything," Popuri suggested, pulling out more copies of Mary's book. "In fact, I actually came here hoping I could donate some copies of it here," She placed them on the table. There were four in total, excepting the one Popuri said was hers. "I figured maybe they deserved to reside in your favorite place."

Her books? In her library? Mary was sure she'd burst from the explosion of pride in her heart. How could she possibly refuse this request? She stood up and smiled once more.

"I'd be more than happy to accept these," She took the books into her hands. Their combined weight rested on her arms, pushing them down. But to her, they were light as feathers as she went to the computer and scanned the barcodes on the back.

A melodious tune rang from Popuri's pocket in that moment. She pulled out a cell phone and blinked when she saw why it was ringing. "Oh dear. Karen wants me to stop at her place for dinner. I better get going then," She slipped her phone into her dress pocket. "Sorry I can't stay longer!"

"No worries," Mary told her. "You go have fun. We can chat again next time."

"Sure! Bye!" With an enthusiastic wave, Popuri skipped out of the library, just like she would often do when she was younger.

As Mary finished putting information about her book into the database, she walked around, searching for a free space to put them in. The shelves were filled from top to bottom with books, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to fit four copies of it into any space she could find. But she'd find a way. With this, she would always have a permanent place in her beloved library. If there wasn't any space, she'd make one. Finally, she found a big, open spot on a shelf filled with paperbacks. Gingerly, she slid the books onto the shelf, and all four copies completely filled it up.

"This will be your new home," Mary whispered, as if the books were real people. In a way, her book was her child. She brought it into this world, and a place for it in her library was long overdue. In this moment, Mary was never more fulfilled than she was now. "Welcome to my library, Homestead Harvest."

The front door opened once again. Mary swiveled to the front entrance, and she saw a pretty young woman with curly blonde hair wearing a black and red cropped shirt, a matching knitted cap, red shoes, a white belt around her waist, and long, flared blue jeans. The woman's purple eyes scanned the shelves around her.

"Is anyone here?" The woman called out.

Mary slid her fingers across her book's spine one last time before leaving them to their new home.

"Coming!"

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**A/N**: In case anyone couldn't tell, the woman who appears at the end of this chapter is Jennifer, the new bachelorette who was revealed recently.


End file.
